By Mary Alice Murphy

Last night was an interesting, if not very sleepful night.

I was asleep, when I heard what I at first thought were large raindrops hitting the windows. I woke up and listened more closely and realized it was something chomping on apples.

It wasn't a deer, because I couldn't hear the click of hooves on the gravel in the yard around our house.

The tree was so full of apples that the branches were almost to the ground.

I flipped on the outside light. And a large blackish blob seems to be just sitting there snacking away, about 6-8 feet from the house. I tried knocking on the window, because the light didn't faze the critter. No reaction. But when I opened the back door, it got the beast's attention, and it moved slightly away from the tree.

As soon as it moved, I realized it was a good-sized bear. So, I stepped outside in my pajamas and yelled at it to "Git!" It "got" (or is it gitted?) and it left, bounding over the low wall we have around our yard.

Probably 10, maybe 15 minutes later, I heard what sounded like a branch cracking and the critter was scrambling up the peach tree. I yelled at it again, and it jumped down and over the wall it went.

I couldn't get back to sleep for a while, because I fully expected the critter to return. As far as I can tell, it didn't.

I knew we had bear sightings recently in the neighborhood. Neighbors up the road a piece had seen one. And the folks in the house down from us had reported a bear. They hadn't seen it, but it had left its scat and they recognized that it was bear.

We hadn't seen any scat. Usually, the bears have left their calling cards in the middle of the driveway or on the road.

But this is my latest close encounter with an adult bear.

A few years ago, when we had a good plum crop, I heard a rustling outside one night. I put the light on, and the whole tree, which is a large tree, was shaking. Same playbook. There I am outside barefoot in my jammies yelling at the critter to "get outta there."

Wondering it if it's the same bear?

And I sure hope it doesn't show up again tonight. I need some sleep!

The wonders of our natural, if enhanced habitat, certainly keep us entertained.

May your musings bring you beauty!